AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF IRAQ
SULAIMANI
Supporting AUIS
American-style higher education “could well be the
greatest legacy that the United States and all of Iraq’s
supporters abroad could leave to the next generation of
this country’s leaders. Our youth deserve this chance.”
Ali Mohammad Al-Hussein Ali Al-Adeeb,
Iraq’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) is Iraq’s only non-profit
institution for public benefit that provides a student-centered education based
on the philosophy, standards, and teaching practices of the American higher
education model.
Founded in 2007 by Dr. Barham Salih, the former deputy prime minister of
the Republic of Iraq and the former prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional
Government, and other prominent figures in Kurdistan and Iraq, the University
admits all qualified students regardless of social, ethnic, or religious background.
At AUIS, young Iraqis do more than co-exist—they learn lasting values of
respect for the individual and a spirit of free inquiry, and they thrive in a culture
of achievement and accountability. Today more than 1,000 students from all
parts of Kurdistan and Iraq study at AUIS.
Location
Sulaimani is situated 210 miles northeast of Baghdad in the verdant and
mountainous southeast corner of Iraqi Kurdistan (the three Kurdish-majority
provinces of Iraq) near the Iranian border. With a population of approximately
1 million people, Sulaimani is the fifth largest city in Iraq and the second largest
in Iraqi Kurdistan, where it is widely recognized as the autonomous region’s
intellectual and cultural capital.
Campus
In the fall of 2011, AUIS marked the beginning of its fourth academic year
with a move to its new 400+ acre campus. The university grounds include an
administration building, gender-specific dormitories, and an academic building,
which houses lecture halls and classrooms, conference rooms, faculty offices, and
the library. AUIS also has state-of-the-art science labs, a cafeteria, and outdoor
basketball and soccer facilities.
Academics
The University’s academic programs are designed to meet or exceed standards
set by regional accreditation organizations in the United States. Its degrees are
recognized by the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Republic of Iraq.
The University offers seven academic programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree,
as well as a graduate program leading to a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) degree.
Undergraduate Programs
BA Journalism
BA International Studies
BS Information Technology
BS General Engineering
BS Business Administration
BA English Literature
BS Mechanical Engineering
Journalism, 1%
English-­‐Journalism English-­‐Journalism International Studies, 15%
Interna3onal Studies Interna3onal Studies Information Technology, 16%
Informa3on Technology Informa3on Technology General Engineering, 34%
General Engineering General Engineering Business Administration, 34%
Business Administra3on Business Administra3on English Literature, 0%
Mechanical Engineering, 0%
Student Enrollment by Major
Since all instruction is in English, 90 percent of admitted students require
additional English language training before proceeding to traditional
undergraduate study. Once students transition into the undergraduate program
they must complete core courses in the humanities and sciences before beginning
coursework in their chosen major. The student-teacher ratio is 15:1.
AUIS faculty members have earned degrees from accredited institutions primarily
in the United States and United Kingdom. Sixty-five percent hold doctoral
degrees.
Student Life
Rounding out the university experience is a robust campus life, with sports
teams and more than 20 student-sponsored clubs including an internationally
competitive debate society, Model United Nations, and Shakespeare troupe.
AUIS is also home to Iraq’s first and only independent student newspaper, the
Voice.
Alumni
Eighty percent of undergraduate alumni are employed full-time. Seven percent
are employed part-time and 13 percent are pursuing graduate studies either in
Iraq or abroad. While 60 percent of the general population in Kurdistan is
employed in the public sector, more than 90 percent of AUIS alumni work for
private organizations.
Capacity Building
As an institution for public benefit AUIS supports regional capacity-building
through:
• the Professional Development Institute, which offers continuing
education classes for working professionals;
• the Testing Center, which administers globally recognized standardized
exams; and
• the annual Sulaimani Forum and in other programs produced by the
University’s Institute of Regional and International Studies, sponsoring
open dialogue among academics and influential public figures on today’s
most complex regional and global development issues.
•
The Case for Support
AUIS is a key contributor to regional stability
The AUIS students of today are the leaders of Kurdistan, Iraq, and the wider
Middle East of tomorrow. The durability and continuation of any progress
made by today’s leaders requires the development of successive generations
with the necessary knowledge and skills for professional and national leadership,
an essential component of the mission of AUIS. In Iraq that means, first
and foremost, appreciation for diversity. The University’s ethnic and religious
diversity is unparalleled in the country, drawing some 1,000 Kurds, Sunni and
Shi’a Arabs, Turkmen, Christians, and Yezidis from each of Iraq’s 19 provinces to
live and study together.
AUIS takes seriously its obligation to develop leaders. That is why it has
partnered with international and local organizations such as the United Nations
Development Programme and the Iraq Foundation to host leadership training
programs on campus. Meanwhile, the undergraduate curriculum stresses selfreliance, critical thinking, and communication skills. Extracurricular activities,
including 20+ student clubs and four intercollegiate athletic teams, allow students
to hone their leadership skills outside the classroom.
AUIS is the only American-style University in Kurdistan or Iraq
The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani is the first and only private, notfor-profit university in Iraq. No other equivalent institution exists. Located in
safe and tolerant Kurdistan, AUIS is able to continue its operations unimpeded
amidst unrest elsewhere in the region. This security plus the infrastructure of an
independent, non-profit institution for public benefit positions AUIS uniquely
among Iraqi universities to prepare students from the entire region for successful
careers in a modern, pluralistic society and in a global environment.
AUIS is a positive legacy of America’s recent involvement in the Middle East
In a volatile environment where the value of US contributions is debated, AUIS
clearly stands out as a positive legacy of the American presence in Iraq. AUIS
represents core American values of democracy, equal opportunity, and high
standards. Consequently, AUIS serves, both in concept and in practice, as a
key element in U.S. foreign policy including long-lasting US-Iraqi partnerships.
Succeeding generations of AUIS graduates will have their lives enriched with an
appreciation for American ideals.
“Let us not call ourselves future
leaders over and over. Instead,
let us begin being leaders now so
we grow to become even better
leaders in the future.”
— Jwan Sarbast Kittani
Commencement Speech, 2013
Jwan Kittani, Class of 2013
Hometown: Amedi, Iraq
Interned at Rabee Securities
Currently employed at LaFarge and Arab Youth Climate Movement
Peshawa Ahmad, Class of 2012
Hometown: Rania, Iraq
Earned an M.A. from the Syracuse University
Maxwell School of Public Affairs
Currently employed in the Islamic Development Bank
Dina Dara, Class of 2014
Hometown: Erbil, Iraq
Interned at Iraq Oil Report and the Turkish Consulate
Iraqi Young Leadership Exchange Program participant
Currently pursuing an M.A. at the Fletcher School of
Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
Pictured here with commencement speaker Thomas Friedman
of The New York Times
The American University of Iraq Foundation was incorporated in the United
States in 2013 — consistent with the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code — as a non-stock, not-for-profit corporation organized
exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. It promotes and supports
university-level education in Iraq based on American models. Accordingly, as
determined by its board of directors, the Foundation solicits contributions and
bequests in furtherance of the mission of the American University of Iraq,
Sulaimani.
The American University of Iraq Foundation has timely applied to the Internal
Revenue Service for recognition of its section 501(c)(3) status, and expects to
receive such recognition. Contributions to the Foundation therefore will be
deductible for federal income, gift, and estate tax purposes.
Ways to Give
Credit or debit:
www.auifoundation.org
Check or money order:
The American University of Iraq Foundation
c/o JP Schnapper-Casteras
1117 10th Street NW, W7
Washington, DC 20001
Wire transfer:
kyle.long@auis.edu.iq or
202-375-1444
www.auifoundation.org
202-375-1444